'Legend of the Sea Devils' Review - Doctor Who

[@pickupchangetoe]

1984 was definitely written on my first pass of the script, but I thought that date sounded too late and obviously replaced it with the '72 serial instead. 😅 Apologies for the flub!

[@ajbartley3432]

Yep...ya just beat me too it!

[@YGGamingOfficial]

No Worries at all Rich, still another fantastic video!

[@kennethnystrom593]

There was a MAJOR reason the 9th grabbed specificly Rose hand in the beginning of "Rose". The birth of our Doctor would had been prevented if Rose had died there. (Because) Rose was the reason our Doctor was born in the first place in the futurepast. (Think; Just like how Ace was born by futurepast events taking place in curse of the Fenric). AND.... Another major spoiler.... Rose have a ton of names beyond the obvious Rose "Bad wolf girl" Tyler Romana. (ROse MArioN (A) White guardian of time. Santa.

[@harryjackson8520]

Warriors of the Deep is actually a pretty underrated story if you get round to watching it

[@a_world_made_of_cardboard]

I thought of the 84 episode when you said 72. Great catch and great video.

[@gladiator652004]

That suddenly-appearing trap for the Sea Devil early on in the episode was DREADFUL!!! Could not take the plot seriously after that. You are right that the Doctor and Yaz don't click. HOWEVER, the Doctor and the entire fam did not click - something which ruined the whole era for me!!!

[@paulshorney3465]

Totally agree

[@richardgale4827]

Trap-out-of-nowhere was Scooby-doo level, instantly undermining this week's adversary.

[@lesames3743]

The first 10 minutes , with iffy CGI and that jump , made sit there thinking this isnt good. From there on in it lost me.

[@andywellsglobaldomination]

I have never found Whitaker's Doctor to be relatable... They (non-binary) seem to be living in their head.

[@paulshorney3465]

@@andywellsglobaldomination it's all B.....KS! Ironically! Lol

[@TheMutantCreeper]

The fact that this has been going on for 5 years, yet feels like nothing has happened is baffling. We know little to nothing about these characters while by now with previous Doctors and companions, we would know their fears, aspirations, relationships, and how they behave in certain situations. We know that Amy is a feisty woman who grew a great love and appreciation for her husband and greatly cares for her family. Rory is quiet and has a passion to protect his loved ones and an inner bravery to fight. Yaz is a cop who used to be depressed and has a connection with her grandma. I don’t really know what she likes and what she wants. It’s been 5 years and I really don’t know who she is.

[@Stauno]

If I'm being honest, I forgot Yaz was a cop...

[@RantingThespian]

@@Stauno So did the writers.

[@ronnietexan]

@@Stauno @Stauno If I'm honest I just forgot about Yaz altogether!

[@bluesnake4626]

Bill was more developed from just having one season

[@jannyjan90]

Jeez has it been 5 years!!! Agree, there are characters who are only in for two episodes who have better character development than Yaz. I mean I know more about the maid ( Gwyneth) from Unquite Dead and whaty drives her than I do Yaz... and she was in one episode!! And sorry shippers but Thasmin has absolutely no foundations at all.

[@pun-inator6075]

I felt like this would've worked well as a second episode in a Doctor's run rather than second-to-last. A fun adventure going wrong, giving them chance to interact with a historical figure, an old foe and giving the chance for the new companion to see what the doctor is like going into a situation rather than meeting them mid-emergency.

[@FixTheWi-Fi]

When Dan was like "you haven't got the hint yet?" I was just thinking that.. yeah no, I can fully believe she hasn't, because The Doctor _hasn't given_ those hints, at least not on screen, and definitely not before last episode.

[@CutleNoodle]

While I'm all for Yaz and the Doctor liking each other, it felt hollow this episode because of how little we've seen that actually develop. Yaz almost felt like a character in the background for a lot of the Chibnall era and the moments where there were hints at something, at least on Yaz's end, were very few, with some treated more as jokes and others being extremely vague. Also, when Dan revealed that Yaz liked the Doctor, it never felt like the Doctor reciprocated, so the idea that Yaz is the person the Doctor would choose if she were to love someone again just felt out of nowhere.

[@Milk88488]

I'm definetly not all for their romance. The Millenia old alien dating another 19 year old is creepy asf

[@kevinfeather3206]

Dan is a brilliant character, one who I quickly warmed to. Very much like Donna, brings fun and light hearted side which works with the show. As I said in my own post I’m sadly not a fan of Yaz, as know next nothing much about her and personally would of preferred Ryan to have remained and a far more rounded character.. I don’t believe they is any chemistry between her and the Doctor and there’s no way the Doctor would feel more for here than River! It is certainly not the actor but the writing, I loved Bill Potts from the off - she just worked.

[@xBoringPerfectionx]

Literally gobsmacked when you said yaz is the longest running nu who companion. Like what do we even know about her? The fact that Donna was there for 1 series and has made the biggest impact speaks volumes

[@RogueWJL]

What's even more unfortunate is that Graham was sidelined for a one dimensional Daisy Ridley tribute act. In many ways Graham was FINN. So much potential, so likeable, good actor.....wasted.... Oh for the days of Donna, Will and Martha-companions to care about and invest in I haven't connected with any of them since RTD (first era) other than Bill Potts who was terrific.

[@JaviusSama]

@@RogueWJL I definitely connected way more with the Ponds (after RTD). I hated BIll: she was pretty dull and her only defining quality was her sexuality. And before you say I'm bigoted, I LOVED Jack, you know why? Because he was a fun and interesting character who HAPPENED to be (mostly) gay.

[@thechillindude4478]

Regarding the over the use of the sonic, I face palmed when the ocean floor was crumbling all around them and yet the doctor had to use her sonic to confirm it

[@psy-fifan816]

Definitely just waiting for RTD to start his second run. Our 5 year old has been watching all the old new who on iplayer and even he thinks the Jody Doctor is rubbish. Totally agree with you around the Yaz, Doctor relationship story. It’s really only happened over the last three or four episodes and suddenly Yaz is being compared to River!

[@karazor-el9596]

im no russel fan but anything is better than chindrab

[@WalsallHoop]

Profound for such a young age!!

[@richfish2112]

At one point she uses the sonic to check that the sea floor is collapsing that she is physically observing!!! Also, how the hell has Yaz managed to be the longest serving modern companion without actually doing anything!?

[@crystalcove99]

Sometimes I really forget that Yaz is now the longest running companion, figuring that I feel like I hardly know her at all after three seasons. I feel like Dan is already a more fleshed out character than her, to be honest. I know Doctor Who has always been low budget when it came to CGI and effects, but damn... this episode was a mess. The liquefy effects for the Sea Devils made it impossible for me to take them seriously, the Sea Devil statue cracking and exploding at the start of the episode looked horrible (like a stock asset or something, idk), and my God, that Sea Devil jumping onto the ship made me burst into laughter. Despite all that, the episode has some moments that look phenomenal, notably the scene with the Tardis underwater. It's just incredibly easy to tell where the budget went with this episode. Obviously CGI isn't everything, but I do think it has the potential to ruin an episode of a show if done poorly. And in this case, it was already a mediocre episode. I'm really excited to see Ashad back in the Autumn. I feel like he is the best new villain of the Whittaker Era, and I really hope he plays a decent role in the episode (after he was quite literally tossed aside in The Timeless Children). Also super pumped for the Master to be back; I think Dhawan's performance as the Master has been superb.

[@bluesnake4626]

Dhawan's Master has been one of the few highlights from this whole run

[@markgrehan3726]

@@bluesnake4626 For me he had great potential but turned into a pantomime villain again too soon, Missy for me was the best portrayal of the Master in recent years.

[@markgrehan3726]

The longest companion? wow, she has been really, really badly written I know nothing about the character really.

[@crystalcove99]

@@markgrehan3726 Remember that part about her being a cop? Because I don't.

[@markgrehan3726]

@@crystalcove99 The writing on Doctor Who has been pretty shoddy for a while now but when the writers forget what their characters were/are it's time to throw in the towel. They really blew what should have been a re-energized franchise.

[@luigiRobs14]

The episode suffers from second to last episode syndrome, not much is happening outside of teasing the finale and making the episode less important in the long run, this episode had so many moments that screamed two parter crammed into one.

[@YGGamingOfficial]

the seas devils were last seen in 1984, 1972 was there first appearance, they were in warriors of the deep also

[@thefragrantwookiee]

Someone had to say it. Glad it wasn't me this time.

[@jonzygon391]

@@thefragrantwookiee I was thinking of typing it 😂

[@Classic80sFanboy]

What your really saying, is that there is no spark between Yaz and the Doctor. With Chris/David and Billie, you could clearly see the friendship and romance blossom especially at the end of episode 2, series 1, when all Rose wants is chips and calls the Doctor a tight wad with a cheeky smile. That in my opinion, is a believable start to a friendship/relationship.

[@fracturedfingers]

That Sea Devil jump to the ship was so ridiculous, lol.

[@MetalMercutio]

Me and the boys rewinded over that part a few times to laugh

[@fracturedfingers]

@@MetalMercutio kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5-1h3miiLl7pLc

[@fastertrackcreative]

Impossible distance aside there's not even enough leverage. Squash and stretch, you still need to compress first.

[@JaviusSama]

Specially when he teleports the rest of the episode.

[@stephen-dfc]

The funniest thing is we then see a bunch of other Sea Devils climbing the ship later on. Obviously he didn’t pass on his talents 😂

[@woollymoore]

Sorry what confused me was how one person, with a sword, was able to tie two people up and hang them upside down. No matter how good the are at sword fighting, they would have had to put sword down to handle the ropes.

[@1001nevermore]

I was so engaged in this episode that I fell asleep for ten minutes and didn’t bother to rewind it. Sad that this was Jodie’s penultimate. Capaldi got two Masters and the Mondasian Cybermen, Matt Smith got the 50th special with Tennant and the War Doctor, and Tennant got the amazing Waters of Mars. Jodie Whittaker got jipped.

[@zenlavin34]

I was completely blindsided by the romantic interest Yaz had with the Doctor in Eve of the Daleks. I don't recall anything that may have foreshadowed it up until that point.

[@Cs-cp6vo]

It was hinted at in revolution of the daleks

[@CutleNoodle]

There was, like, one per series. Series 11 had Yaz's mom ask if there was anything between them, which was treated more like a joke. There was Revolution of the Daleks where Yaz got more mad at the Doctor than the others, as well as her constantly in the house TARDIS, looking for clues, making it clearer Yaz cared more than the others. Flux had Yaz looking longingly at a prerecorded message of the Doctor. Those last two were super vague with Yaz's actual feelings though and could easily be seen as something simply platonic.

[@LittleChocolateChip]

@@CutleNoodle See, I don't mind a bit of subtlety when it comes to on-screen romance. And certainly in this case, where it's very complicated and Yaz is here trying to grapple with, not only, feeling feelings for another woman, but also a woman who happens to be an extra-terrestrial being and mostly immortal and someone who will almost certainly outlive her - as a gay woman myself, I understand the confusion and mental torment that comes along with such a revelation - and I understand that Yaz would need to deal with all that internally...but there's subtle and then there's just plain not writing the story ;) The bottom line is that this romance, which should have been written with care, was squashed in last minute, possibly in a bid to claw back views.

[@markleneker9923]

So glad these unfortunate few years are almost at an end.

[@LostinKateWinslet]

Spot on with the analysis of the Doctor Yaz relationship Rich. Imagine a well planned Yaz story arc culminating in the Doctor letting her in. Oh well, cheap representation it is.

[@625098evan]

I'd prefer they stop exploring heterosexual relationship instead of starting to explore homosexual ones. my kids what this stuff. can we please go back to exploring good verses evil along with basic morality?! the doctor is a bloody alien. how about no romance with any humans at all?!

[@itskashkashi]

Yaz supposedly represents people like me, identity politics wise, and I absolutely despise her story and character. It's honestly insulting to even suggest the doctor thinks yaz is even vaguely interesting or somehow this amazing person when the Doctor has rejected someone like Martha Jones! Like wtf. There was no build up. What has yaz ever done that's even a little amazing? She's just... kinda there.

[@LostinKateWinslet]

@@itskashkashi yeah, Martha Jones had more character development in her opening episode than Yaz has in three seasons. It's my biggest issue with Chibbers. Lack of character development and the tokenistic way he uses ethnicity. Like one of those over-eager liberals wanting to show off how progressive they are. Yaz is just multiple box-ticking.

[@markpatrick2735]

spot on rich. thazmin seems completely unearned emotionally and ouch that line about liking you better than my wife. What makes Yaz so special? If it happened it happened off-screen! Compared to Martha or almost any of the doctor's other companions what has she done?

[@bluesnake4626]

The only thing that seems to perpetuate the ship is Jodie's and Mandip's chemistry off set. They usually seem to have a lot of fun and back and forth like their proper friends. But non of that comes off on set with how Chibnal handles the show.

[@JaviusSama]

That's the reason I disagree with Rich about this not being LGBTQ pandering.

[@deuce5546]

I feel like most developments in these era happen off-screen and we only see the pay off of stuff that happens between episodes

[@eddiesimbol2661]

when the effects aren't state of the art, Dr who could lean on story telling. when the plot was thin and twisted, Dr who could lean on character development. gay, straight, asexual, none of that is what feels out of sorts. Story telling, Character development. that's the formula

[@Matt42MSG]

With sufficiently good writing, anything else is possible. Without it, the best effects in the world mean nothing - and stunt relationships don't seem credible.

[@garycampbell6622]

If I can add something else, what about the Doctor's hypocrisy? She deplores the execution of a sea devil (love the use of the 1972 Sea Devil cry), but she herself uses a sword against them and Bishop (unbelievably) kills a bunch of them with one stroke and HE'S PLEASED ABOUT IT!

[@mlgnerd13]

Well it's not a gun. so it's fine

[@agentbarton8972]

Honestly the whole Yaz/Doctor relationship just makes me want to cry at this point. Matt Strevens has openly admitted that it wasn't planned, and I feel like that is such a kick in the teeth for the LGBT+ people this is supposed to be for. I'm not saying they should have thrown it in our faces from episode one, but Yaz has had three full seasons and only in the last handful of episodes has anything concrete actually happened because they only decided last minute to force it into the story without fully considering the consequences of that decision. They have treated LGBT+ representation as an afterthought and somehow think that's okay. And we know it's going to all come crashing down in the very next episode anyway, which makes it even worse. Considering this is supposed to be a victory for representation, it feels so hollow and insensitive as if the writers really don't actually care about the people they're claiming to represent. It feels like they're just doing it claw back some of the respect they've pissed away throughout the rest of the Chibnall era. And as a member of the LGBT+ community myself, the fact that Chibnall has treated the first queer Doctor/companion romance with such disinterest, disdain, and frankly ignorance, just makes me want to curl up in a ball and sob. He doesn't understand the importance of what he is writing, and as a result he doesn't understand that writing it in the way he has can actively hurt people.

[@rickybryan1759]

I keep finding connections between Chimbers and Snyder/DC. They seemingly know and like the canon they are working with and yet are/were both all to happy to walk all over it. We learnt recently Snyder was going to hook Bruce and Lois up it’s the same thing - smashing to action figures together and saying you two kiss now!

[@forrestkerns5627]

Are you saying that it's offensive because they decided to have LBGT characters in Who and at the same time they hired writers that just aren't good? I would say these writers are offensive to ALL Whovians, not just gay ones. The Timeless Child is unforgiveable IMO.

[@rickybryan1759]

@@forrestkerns5627 Moffatt will need to consider where he goes from here re Timeless Child - retcon, accept the give or just ignore it.

[@LittleChocolateChip]

I agree. It's such a sad waste. Honestly though, this whole era has been a bit of a sad waste really. The first female Doctor and it's basically all been pretty crap, hasn't it. Which makes me sad, since every one who had a problem with a woman filling the role can now say "look, I told ya - they let a bloody woman in and look what happens" It's a waste because Jodie has proved to be a fantastic actor in the past and this era could have been really interesting ...but I just think the writing let her down, sadly. And now, the first gay romance between Doctor and companion and it's an absolute after-thought. There is zero foundation for Thasmin and that's a crying shame. What should be a pretty ground-breaking story in Doctor Who history is instead just kind of meh and a bit baffling honestly.

[@rickybryan1759]

@@LittleChocolateChip yeah I mean true equality is that women and LGBTI properties have the same ability to be average as cos het make ones. Sadly we needed this run to be awesome and it fell short but just been ‘OK I guess except for the canon trampling’. There was also a who online industry aimed at fueling misogyny, hate and disinformation about Jodie’s run which is so sad. That’s why I really only follow Rich as he reviews Who in good faith.

[@davidwashburn6388]

Thank you for saying that they don't have a connection. I've been saying it for awhile now and I think you are the first to bring it up in the review for this episode. It's completely fan service since this era has been received so badly.

[@bluesnake4626]

Since Mandip Gill is staying on I can only hope that Moffet can salvage it and actually make a good romance between them. But of course there are a lot of things Moffet will need to try and Salvage after this whole timeless child mess.

[@stuunitt2947]

@@bluesnake4626Why are you mentioning Moffet, (or rather Moffat) when we all know that it's RTD who's taking over after Chibnall leaves?

[@bluesnake4626]

@@stuunitt2947 Sorry got the names mixed up in my head. Your right

[@markelliott9737]

@@bluesnake4626 Mandip is staying on? Why do they need a plank of wood to pop up the set? Hopefully she will be better under RTD as she has been scenery in the last three seasons.

[@OperationBlueprint]

When the stone started glowing on his neck I presumed I missed something. Maybe I should have given myself more credit 🤣

[@BerrymanMovies]

I have done a film review on lion King and gave it 10/10

[@detectivesquirrel2621]

Every time there was anything that could've potentially been interesting or entertaining it seemed to be put on fast forward, then you get overly long, overly explaining talking scenes felt dragged out. This episode is unique, it felt both shorter and longer than it actually was at the same time. 3/10... I also didn't recognise Teegan.

[@steveharrison76]

It’s like they saw a pirates of the Caribbean movie and said “oh, we should do that”. I thought it was utterly dire.

[@jimmideerichards9554]

This episode is so forgettable, I’m an extremely engrossed individual and take in everything going on when I’m watching things especially in franchises I love like Doctor who etc, I’m normally the go to person that my friends etc go to, to explain everything that’s gone on, that being said I was so bored by this episode that when the end of the episode came and the sea devils got defeated, I completely forgot what the motive even was, and what the sea devils plan actually was as when the doctor fixed it or whatever, I was like, I’ve completely forgotten what the point of this all is 😂😂, and it was at that exact moment I realised….. Chibbers has finally defeated me…. Hurry the f**k RTD… we need you more than ever. Even next weeks episode having the cybermen mixing with the Daleks again, Tegan and Ace returning, I can’t get excited by it cus I know Chibbers is only going to balls it all up and disappoint. I’ve never in all my years of being a whovian, been at the point where I dont want to even bother watching an episode, but have to cus I’ve invested to much into the show. I was already in a foul mood as I was preparing to watch it as I knew it was going to be crap, and oh boy…. It’s the only way Chibbers doesn’t fail to disappoint. As he’s consistently shit at running this show. Again I feel so sorry for Jodie, who can reach her full potential under this terrible show running.

[@joangibb7480]

Yes!!

[@whoo11]

The Sea devils were in Warriors of the deep from 1984!

[@chrisphillips1492]

At such low ratings I'm wondering if Doctor Who would struggle to get a SURFSHARK VPN sponsor. 💁‍♂

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

Just leave yeah no one cares

[@chrisphillips1492]

@@nathanielfarkas4431 hopefully not!

[@SimonNeilScott]

I think you've summed up the "romance" perfectly. It just hasn't been built up or given any real context. I don't mind it happening, but it's gonna feel forced and quite traumatic for Yazz when they finally, presumably, kiss and not soon after the person she "loves" regenerations into.... a man (potentially)? Which could be very disturbing and confusing for her.

[@thinkingofthings5593]

This, as did the flux epsiodes, has a very strong "Last season of Doctor Who" vibe to it. That happened many times in the Chibnal era (e.g. season 1 finale). Instead of telling a good contained one episode story we get a summary of a much larger story...

[@joeldean2706]

Lion king is timeless as for Dr who itself was timeless. Hopefully Russell T Davies will get things back on track.

[@RyanHeroing]

As much as I want the Yaz and Doctor to be a meaningful thing, it just doesn't have the impact that some of the previous companions have had. When Yaz said that the Doctor promised them a beach at the end I was so surprised there was just NOTHING related to Rose. Talking about being with someone on a beach is almost a direct call back. The doctor and Yaz having that conversation at Badenwolfen Bay or something or even just a rose in the background that she looks at, something to call back to the other loves that the Doctor has had would have made such an impact. I know she mentions her wife (river) briefly in the episode but it really feels like Chibs just doesn't really care about the previous incarnations of the doctor. It really could have helped made this episode something special if the past was embraced just a little bit.

[@agentbarton8972]

That's because he doesn't care about the previous incarnations. And he also doesn't expect future showrunners to care about his - he did an interview saying he fully expected Davies to ignore what he has done. Which to me demonstrates how fundamentally he does not understand the core of Doctor Who. He has rewritten the very foundation of the show from the ground up - he's ripped up over fifty years of story and worldbuilding without so much as a second thought - and he just thinks RTD can ignore that and move on. That's not just stupidity, that's wilful disregard for what the show means to people. Every showrunner is different, obviously, but until now they all loved the legacy of the show and honoured what came before them. Chibnall, on the other hand, has no respect for any of it. He has gone in with a sledgehammer, demolished everything people thought they knew, shattered the trust of massive swathes of the fanbase, and now thinks he can just skip off into the sunset congratulating himself on a job well done. I'm so glad RTD is coming back, because I genuinely think he is the only one who has the slightest chance of salvaging this show after how thoroughly Chibnall has wrecked it.

[@geckokid8265]

When I watched this episode I kept thinking they were saying Gene Hunt instead of Ji-Hun. I feel it would have been a better episode if was Gene Hunt from life on Mars and Ashes to ashes was in this episode

[@StarkWhisper872]

Totally agree with the screwdriver, overly used & we see it literally a second or two after first seeing her open the TARDIS door. 🤦‍♂️ Why??? Please, anyone, tell me I'm not the only person to have worked out where the treasure was the second we get to see the ^^Sea Devil's Ship^^ only to be confirmed quickly after when Yas & the Doctor go back in time onto the very ship with the treasure on board. It was so obvious it made it more painful to watch because even the Doctor couldn't work it out & had to be told/shown. 😮‍💨 I seriously can't stand how shallow, obvious & stupid most of Chibnal's writing has been all the way through since he's been writing for Doctor Who. I can't say much about Jodie Whittaker as I've never seen her in anything else (meaning I don't know if she could of been better), but it feels like everything she does & says is just over the top & sometimes random, making a lot of scenes awkwardly weird. I was very surprised to see Ace in the trailer, I also didn't recognise Tegan, so I guess I'm also not a fan. Cool seeing Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's daughter again (I can't remember her name). Watching the trailer though, seeing all the adversaries, I think there's too many, unless we're going to get a Pandorica type episode where they team up against the Doctor, even then, my expectations are very low for quality. Also, even though we didn't see him in the trailer (unless I just missed it), I have a slight suspicion we're going to see Captain Jack Hackness again, it instantly popped into my head as the Lone Cyberman came up, who's an adversary I'd completely forgotten about & as I'm thinking about it now; didn't he die? As usual the visuals are amazing, shame about the Sea Devils & FFS that stupid light around their necks the originals didn't have that & were better off for it. Wish we had an explanation to why all the sudden the Sea Devils can leap far distances. Anyone else wondering how everyone managed to jump back onto the Sea Devils ship from the ship of the woman who's crew we're taken, in that whole scene the Sea Devils ship constantly remained a lot higher than the other & from seeing them all on deck & a second later we just hear them somehow ^^jump/swing over to the other^^. What? How? I can't wait for Chibnal to leave, I've been watching Doctor Who all my life, watched all the spin offs & the classic series & Chibnal's era in my opinion, is the worst in Doctor Who's history. I hope he never comes back! After reading this comment, your probably thinking; why do I watch it then? It's because I want it to be good, get better, go back to the glory days. It's also because, as I've said, I've watched Doctor Who all my life & for some strange reason, even when it's s***, I can't pull myself away from it.

[@johnking5174]

Just a heads up on the autumn special. The word that keeps being used at the BBC Press Office is "feature length" - I have been told the centenary special is being scheduled to be either 80 or 90 minutes in duration. As some at the press office said, Chris Chibnall was given a "Sherlock episode style slot" to fill, meaning 90 minutes. The 100th anniversary of the BBC falls in October, so it can be logical that the special will air around then. Finally, there has been a tiny little hint that Saturday May 14th 2022 could be the day the 14th doctor is revealed. FA Cup Final is on the BBC that day, and the number 14 makes it handy too. Just a hint from what I have heard.

[@737Wow]

Chibnall managed to make the Pirate Queen boring. Honestly, Asian history has always been badly handled in Doctor Who but this one irks me to the core. She is literally the most bad ass female historical figure and Chibnall made her boring. Haissshh... One more episode. Just one more then it's over.

[@brucewayne7838]

chibnall must be so excited that his creation is down to 2.20 million overnight u.k viewers .

[@a_world_made_of_cardboard]

I have found that writing the companions as characters who "are in love with the Doctor" lessens the character. The classic series companions were independent and stood on their own. Sarah Jane, Leela, even Tegan and Adric all were characters who in there own way respected the Doctor, but were independent and had their own ideas of what they needed to do. In the new series, this makes just about every companion having a romantic thought about the Doctor. Instead of independent, they were just pining after the Doctor. There are some who didn't, Donna and Clara come to mind, but now this is the latest companion with a love interest in the Doctor. It is just getting to be too over used. It has become the Sonic screwdriver of companion plot points.

[@grandempressvicky6387]

I think Doctor/Companion romances can only work when the Companions aren't mooning over the Doctor. There's nothing wrong with fantasising but they should value their friendship with them first and foremost - treating it as more of a "if only" sort of thing. That way they can still retain their independence and platonic relationship with the Doctor without the romantic aspect completely consuming their identity. I think Clara is a prime example of this as well as S1 Rose with 9 (10 is when she started to deteriorate for me - 9 was a healthy balance). I'm all for Companion romance but I can't stand it when it defines everything about the companion like they do not exist outside of the Doctor.

[@grandempressvicky6387]

Oh, and they can't be a teenager. I understand RTD's reasoning for making Rose 19 but he could have just as easily had her be fresh out of university at 23 or 24. There was no need to make the Doctor fall for a teenager and it's just as weird with Yaz.

[@ghostlypresence5362]

"it's fan service", where is this fanbase beyond a tiny minority of very obviously unstable people? It's beyond weird that Chibs has layed himself at their whims of all groups

[@harrynewiss4630]

That is all the fanbase consists of now, I suspect. Everyone else has drifted away.

[@coloureve9433]

I have missed you as a presenter on whoculture for so long. Now I don't keep up to date with any of the other social media, so when I started to see other presenters who were not you, I was very vocal about my complaints, since I have always felt that the views you two had on the show were refreshing and engaging. Sadly though, as time went on, we saw less and less of you and Amy, I grew more detached from the channel, despite really enjoying the content (Minus the post Capaldi era). I have since then rewatched EK so many times, really falling for the banter between the two of you, and how much you guys care about what you produce, how passionate you are for the topic. Only today did I find this channel of yours, having seen it in the recommended, and since then I have started to binge every single video on your channel, subscribed, and liking every single video. I am so grateful and pleased that the EK podcast has not been stopped, having spent so many hours last year with them issuing through my headphones as I went along with my tortuous workday. I have still yet to follow up on any other the things have led to your separation from whoculture, but I think for now I'll stick to just eagerly waiting for more updates for EK. Glad to have the two of you back, and thank you for continuing with all that you do.

[@lgoamity]

Regarding the Electromagnetic Gravity issue... Not sure what 13 keeps in her Pockets that contain more metal then her Earrings. Oh wait. Her Sonic is composed of a large number of melted down Spoons. Could have used her "Sonic" to discover the issue without ever turning it on.

[@Pulsarnix]

There were some strange editing choices in this episode that made it very hard to watch, at one point I thought the Sea Devils' base was in the sea monster's stomach

[@welshie3659]

shit yh i thought i was the only one, bc it cut from the tardis being in the creatures mouth, to being in the lair of the sea devils

[@welshie3659]

also did the use of the sonic really annoy you too? like she used it to tell where they were at the start (other doctors could just sense this before) to demagnetise her earring, to detect the gravity barrier thing, and to disarm a sea devil, and about 8 other times i cant be bothered to remember the context of.

[@steveribeiro7331]

I can't wait for the chibnall Era to end..as a who fan since 1980 at 5 yrs old..I just hope Davies can inject some life back into the show..and I can proudly display my who collectibles again

[@drewcampbell8555]

I honestly don't know how Chris Chibnall became a successful TV scriptwriter. His scripts for 13 have been consistently woeful - clunky dialogue, clunky exposition, clunky messaging, clunky characterisation. I'm glad he's finally decided to clunk off.

[@tomtudorweaver1078]

I haven't watched Doctor Who since season 11, but my dad and I came back to watch this one for the Sea Devils, I grew up during the Tennant era but also with re-runs of classic Who, so pretty much every time a classic villain showed up I had the inside scoop, so I've been waiting since around 2007 for the Sea Devils to show up. I'm glad they kept the design fairly consistent and the characterization was about the same as the original series, just less developed and more of a one-note villain. I'm just glad they didn't screw up the Sea Devils, but I also wish they did more interesting things with them story wise since you almost could've swapped them out for just some random new monster and I don't think it would've changed much. The Silurians and Sea Devils were always my favorite classic villains since the conflict was so rich and interesting, they weren't flat out evil like the Daleks or Cybermen, instead they were completely justified in what they wanted but also did show that they weren't mindless monsters, they did entertain the possibility of peace as the Doctor proposed, with it then being humanity who tended to screw it up. Granted we've seen that a few times now and I didn't want an exact retread, the season 5 Silurian story did nothing for me, but that aspect just wasn't played up enough to make the Sea Devils feel three dimensional. Even then the Doctor mentions that the lead Sea Devil seemed more aggressive than the earlier versions, that could've been explored. It's a shame that everything was so average and bland here, the fight scenes and sense of positioning with characters in scenes was so off and probably my biggest issue with the episode. One of the things I loved in the earlier seasons was that the classic villains that were brought back were treated as a bigger deal, they usually got 2-part stories and they were built up, and the Doctor's reaction to them usually did a lot to emphasize how dangerous or important they were, here I don't know if anyone would consider the Sea Devils memorable since they just didn't do a lot with them. To me if they had some better editing and had this be a 2-parter to flesh out the characters and relations, whilst also giving more buildup to the Sea Devils, that would've helped it a lot. All my other thoughts pretty much align with what you said, rampant pace yet hollow story.

[@brettney0007]

I am glad i am not alone in thinking this episode was just.... Fine! I agree in regards to Yaz and the Dr as it feels like its came out of nowhere and there has been no build up like Rose.

[@TheBrowncoatcat]

It's not just the sonic screwdriver anymore. It is a multi-purpose scanning device, with a sonic screwdriver app included.

[@Moondasher_]

Whilst it’s really cool to see Ace and Tegan return, with only one episode left there are so many pieces with Daleks, Cybermen with Ashad, The Master and likely the Fugitive Doctor. I worry that Chibnall won’t be able to put focus where it needs to be and the returning companions will be wasted like Kate Stewart and it’ll all go a bit Flux Part 6

[@kennethiain]

I'll be honest, I went into this episode with absolutely NO expectations, and enjoyed the episode a lot more because of it. I think it's sad, but the trailers promise something amazing that we, the audience, get hyped for, only for us to be let down on broadcast. I've found myself watching these last episodes more in the hopes that Whittaker's legacy as the Doctor can be spared unjust criticism for what is ultimately not her fault, but the fault of poor writing, as well as the genuine love I have for this show, than actually enjoying it. It's sad, but I enjoyed most of the guest cast more than the main three -- excepting the young actor whose character lost their father, whose acting was very unconvincing to me. As you said, Crystal Wu was brilliant in the role of Madame Ching, and I'd love to see more of her work because of her performance in this. As for the Doctor's final outing, at this point, I don't think Chibnall has it in him to write Whittaker the send off she deserves. He's failed at every hurdle at writing a finale that not only ties up loose ends as a finale should (which arguably he does do), but that also does so in an entertaining and engaging way, and there's no reason that should change now. I will say though that Chibnall's run -- at the least the latter part of it, with Flux and these specials -- seem to be further affected by decisions made above his head: Doctor Who: Flux was reduced from 8 episodes to 6, and I've heard rumours that he wanted *this* episode to have been his and Whittaker's last, before being asked to write the Centennial special, so while I am critical of his writing, I wonder how much better the quality of the episodes *could* have been had they been produced as he intended.

[@flweeptwo]

so much happening while nothing happens and then no big payoff desciribes chris chibnall's run perfectly

[@Macapta]

I'd completely forgotten about the chunk of stuff the Pirate lady broke off the statue. What was that for? why was there a map to a treasure stuck inside an alien statue? And how did that statue not break earlier, she tapped that thing and it shattered.

[@JustJimWillDo]

I thought the Sea Devil jump onto the ship was a nice nod to the outrageous gymnastics of old Chinese and Hong Kong kung fu movies. Check out Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger for a modern re-creation. Particularly appropriate given the presence of characters like Madame Ching (鄭氏) and Ji Hun (not an actual person).

[@michaeldemarco9950]

Doctor #11 exits the TARDIS, looks at the sonic and exclaims, “1:04 AM.” He looks at the sky and corrects himself, “PM.” He looks down the hill at the Roman encampment, and said, “AD!”

[@WriterofChaos42]

I’m going to miss Jodie. There are parts I like about 13, and parts the I connect to within her Doctor. She managed to win me over like every new Doctor does with their time on screen even if the writing was awful. However I am excited to see Chibnall leave and for RTD to come back. I’m hoping the new doctor is also female and we don’t go back to a male Doctor, but in the end I’ll be happy with whoever. As for Thasmin, I get what u mean by it being hallow. I was kinda in denial about it but your right in the sense that’s it’s just fan service. And that is SO disappointing given what it could have been.

[@jasonbruce88]

The opening with the pirate queen arriving and breaking the statute was really good. However that went out the window as soon as the Sea Devil lifted his sword.

[@LloydEWatson1983]

Quick point, the Sea Devils were last seen in 1984 in Warriors of the Deep.

[@rogerbird380]

"No butter, no Nutella..." 😆😆

[@mathewguglielmi8451]

I thought that the potential interesting story suffered from having to compress the plot in less than an hour. Hence the rapid introduction of plot points with no to little explanation. I got the impression that scenes may have been edited out. It may have needed to be told over two parts , like a classic era Dr Who story.

[@DorothyMcShane]

Man, I love your reviews - we agree on so much, it's funny. But yeah, I can't help but feel like a large chunk of the script for this episode was cut - like why did the Doc and Co. arrive in appropriate attire for the period when they were just going for a beach holiday in the relative time period (2020s)? Then there was their sudden escape of the Sea Devil's ship, swinging on to Madam Chang's ship, and, of course, that sudden trap. It was all higgledy piggledy. I also agree with not recognising Tegan! I felt like such a fake fan. It was only when I got onto social media after that when I realised that was Janet Fielding. I think it's the hair. Looking back at the trailer the accent is there...

[@JohnSmith0137]

I don’t get why everytime Yaz and thirteen have to be a moment, they have to have a talk. It’s not them just having fun like rose and ten. No. They just always need a sit down and turn off the plot just so we can see what’s happening. Like the doctor saying they had a time limit before they’d be trapped but then they just waited for a long time speaking. Like they’re on the clock. couldn’t it be laughs and hugs throughout the episode like they defeat the sea devils then they hug tightly or something. Chibnall did this in power of three as well with Amy and he always has a tendency to do this. He can’t put multiple plots together without shutting one off just to focus on the other.

[@spclifford74]

I seriously felt this was a feature length episode edited down to 50 mins with a vicious pair of scissors. Things just happened with no explanation and after they happened, there was no follow-up. For example, at the start with the skipping stones and the 'gravitron' pulse pulling them to the side? Ok, but the Sea Devil had only just been released, he hadn't even met up with his old ship mates yet and he didn't have the infinity stone? So, why was causing that that? And it's not even as if it was vital to the plot because straight after they heard the screams from the village and ran over to see what was going on. And what happened to the infinity stone anyway? It's just stuck down there with all the Sea Devils that she trapped? So presumably they'll be able to use that to escape? Maybe if it had meant to be 90 mins long, they would have explained everything better and it wouldn't have been all at such a frantic pace. I think it wasn't until Yaz and the Doctor were on the beach having their quiet moment the actual background music stopped for a second and the music was way too overbearing as well (I had to have subtitles on to understand what they were all saying). On the plus side, every new episode of Doctor Who, is an episode further away from Orphan 55.

[@michaeldemarco9950]

The Sea Devils last showed up in a 5th Doctor story from 1982.

[@billydeeuk]

Am I the only one who thought the Dan/Diane plot was a bit uncomfortable? Firstly, he was tricked by Yaz to wear a hook for a hand…surely, with the supposed Love Of His Life only having one arm, he’d find that a little bit distasteful. Worse than that - he rings Diane at the end to say the adventure MADE HIM THINK OF HER. Am I reading too much into this?

[@kian72olner]

I have a hunch that the doctor bringing up river is going to be Yaz’s version of Rose meeting Sarah Jane. The doctor didn’t mention either to their respective companions and they were both kinda brought up accidentally. 13 said she wasn’t meant to mention river and 10 didn’t expect to meet Sarah jane and for Rose and SJ to meet. Yaz will still love the doctor the same way Rose did. But I think it’ll be the same expected heartbreak for the doctor.

[@TheTitaniumBunker]

They went to all that trouble warping the throats of the sea devil and making it blink and they didn't bother animating the lips? They had give him a flashing light so you knew he was speaking.

[@Mortalware]

Waves her sonic around like a magic wand all series but then she can't use it to fuse two cables together (which is a more plausible use for it than anything else we've seen) so someone has to hold them and die.

[@NotAgnor]

One of the big things about representation, LGBTQIA+ and woke-ness in this era is that it isn’t written well which makes people think others are being discriminatory when actually it just wasn’t done right. But that’s very bad because it’s the first time it’s happened so it warps the truth

[@LibertyBridgeProductions]

Yaz isn’t the longest serving companion if you’re talking about episode count. I also kinda think all of that’s over now but maybe we’ll get a conversation about it later.

[@IsThereLifeOnMars1971]

I love this episode just for the sea devil CGI jump.

[@KingMuttley]

Class bud, great video, glad you could get it out on time 😁

[@joebrady1694]

This Is gonna sound completely random, but where did you get the dalek figures in the background of your setup? I got into doctor who last year and love your videos, but haven't really been able to find any daleks to put on my shelf.

[@pickupchangetoe]

Most of them are older Character Options models, the larger one is a 12" RC Dalek. Best place to look for these sorts of things is eBay!

[@youtubeaccount697]

Might also be good to wait til 2023. Anniversary re-releases are possible

[@joebrady1694]

@@pickupchangetoe thank you so damn much, I really appreciate the reply

[@ShaneJMcEntee]

Took me a second to recingise Tegan. Only recongised her as she's been on so many Behind The Sofas on the Complete Series collections.

[@NowhereMan2710]

'No peril, no substance, no heart...bland' - nailed it.

[@timothylyons5686]

Colin never suffered from whipping out his sonic.

[@johnsensebe3153]

I had trouble recognizing Tegan, as well. It's the hairstyle.

[@lachieechoecho]

I didn’t recognise Tegan either, and she was my favourite companion! 😂 Oh I hope Chibnall doesn’t ruin them.

[@paulshorney3465]

You know he will! 😥

[@qplanet]

The bit that got me was the Doctor saying to Yaz that she was the greatest person she had ever known. It disrespected Sarah-Jane, Rose, Donna, Martha, River etc... there is no reason we should believe that because we know nothing about Yaz. It felt like Chibnall trying to force us to like her even though he told us nothing about her

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

That doctor has said that to every character in different ways

[@qplanet]

@@nathanielfarkas4431 true, but it's the lack of character development in this case

[@Icemann11000]

I respect the fact that a lot of people have enjoyed this version of Doctor Who. By all mean, support the series if you are being entertained. However, I can't express how utterly disappointed I am with the Chibnall era. I truly hoped that the series would get better and breathe new life into a very old franchise. Sadly, that didn't happen. I hope that RTD can set things right again, but I don't think he can repair the damage that has been done. As far as I am concerned, the series jumped the shark with the Timeless Children episode ... that was the final dagger in the heart. I wish the series well, but Doctor Who ended with Peter Capaldi.

[@CuddlyPsycho1134]

Though I've never actually tried, I'm pretty sure you can't skip stones over incoming waves, the stone would just sink. You can only skip stones on calm flat water, like a pond or small inland lake.

[@markpostgate2551]

I'm pretty sure I've seen people skip stones on the sea (I could never do it myself; I don't have the knack). Maybe that's because the sea I'm thinking about is shielded from the open ocean by an island.

[@samrizzardi2213]

If I were to write a Dr Who story about the Silurians/Sea Devils, it would be set at the peak of their civilization during the Eocene.

[@fernandaalvesrosa5776]

Completely agree. It was a plain episode, did the basics. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. Also agree that Yaz and The Doctor have no big build up or great chemistry, but it'll be a victory if they get together nonetheless

[@Protoshag46]

The editing was very strange when the doctor first meets the sea devil in the episode. Definitely, the weakest penultimate modern who story before a regeneration imo. I’m just worried that even if the run time of the centenary is 70 minutes or a bit longer it still seems like that won’t be enough time to handle everything when you consider how many characters and plot threads that need closure are gonna be in it.

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

There saying feature length so it will be over 70 minutes

[@pedroxqui]

I had several problems with this episode, like when barely scratching the statue released the sea devil, the guy protecting arriving awfully late even tho he was next door, how his son basically forgets his dad just died and the doctor just deciding to abandon Dan and time travel like it's nothing when almost 9/10 times the doctor always ends up on the wrong date, but this time it worked, perfectly, twice in a row... And just the convoluted plot overall, I feel at least the second timeline in the past could have been dropped

[@tmr4342]

When I first seen a screen shot of Tegan & Ace, I thought Tegan was Nyssa.

[@momzrusso1]

I’m with you, Richard… I didn’t know it was Teegan, but knew Ace. I agree that Thasmin shouldn’t feel any more forced than it has since NY’s but if natural, that’s fine.

[@bryanabbott6169]

Yasmin and Ryan had far more on-screen chemistry than Yasmin and the Doctor throughout their time together, and they wound up to be just friends. With the obvious editing jumps (no pun intended, but except for the Sea Devil jump that looks like it's from a Chinese play touring company), it felt like it was originally meant to be either a two-parter or a two-hour special, rather than a normal length episode of Dr. Who.

[@DorothyMcShane]

Clara will still be the longest serving New Who companion with 38 episodes under her belt, while Yaz will only have 27 once the Centenary special comes out 😊

[@chocolateteapot5775]

I was just left wandering what happened to the massive sea monster… despite all the other nonsense in this episode I’ll be generous and give it a 3/10

[@joangibb7480]

I enjoyed the Marathon leading up to it. All the Matt Smith episodes....had it on 24 hours a day. Just fun to wake up and say, oh look, that's the one where he rides his motorcycle up the side of the building. I had the Sea Devils episode on and I tried to watch it but there was nothing compelling. Visually very beautiful but the story didn't grab me and as usual the music was bland. I found the Harry Potter marathon also very compelling. Went on for days. Love the music...I used to play it at lunchtime when some of the students wanted to stay in my room and eat and read or do work. Charming exciting music. Fantastic Beasts has also become more interesting to me and I'm looking forward to the Dumbledore movie. Eddie Redmayne (?) Seems to have a kind of quirkiness in his acting which might make for a good Doctor. Saw him doing magic on the Graham Norton Show. Now, can he flip the sonic and pocket it with panache?

[@thysens]

That line with the Doctor basically shrugging off Dan’s disappearance was hilarious. “Oh he’s wandered off, fuck ‘em.” Part of me thinks it was supposed to allude to the idea that the Doctor wants to spent quality alone time with Yaz - but what kind of insane reverse characterization is it for the Doctor to literally abandon a character for any reason at all, let alone one as ridiculous as a love interest?

[@badalicemusic]

Scunnered for the LGBT+ community and others (me included) who were hoping Chibnall was going to deliver a proper same sex relationship involving The Doctor. All we have now is a "will they/won't they...kiss?" which feels like a massive cop out. I absolutely agree with your summation of Yaz's and The Doctor's chemistry - or the lack of it - and as the relationship they have feels oddly empty anyway, especially for the longest running companion - gotta say, I did a double take at that! I feel she been dealt an enormous disservice in terms of character investment, depth and development when compared to other companions of shorter durations. What all this means is that we, the viewer, are left hanging in the promise of a same sex kiss between The Doctor and another. How groundbreaking. Pretty sure Channel 4 delivered that in 1994. I know it's screamingly obvious but, here it is. A relationship and a kiss are wildly different things and I was so looking forward to enjoying, much like we saw with Rose and 9, the intimacy of a someone being in a relationship with The Doctor and all that that entails. No I'm not talking about sex, but the private jokes, the knowing looks, the fun, the being comfortable with each other's physicality and MOST of all (especially for a LGBT+ relationship on Doctor Who featuring The Doctor) The Doctor being in a relationship where both individuals are entirely at ease and comfortable being open with others about their relationship too and defending it when needed because any good relationship should be defended. But instead...we might get a kiss. 😣

[@charlottebertram6212]

My general opinion on this episode is that whilst Thasmin needed the physical time for something to hapen between them, just a tad more development before the finale, this was really an unnecesary episode. It was cool to see the sea devils back (whilst they were poorly written and the CGI was not amazing on them, just seeeing them in a better picture quality and reimagined was cool), and to see Dan gaining some confidence (although the framing of this was a little odd, i agree) and the aknwledgement on the doctors half that she is still hurt from Rose , i feel like the plot holes made me unable t apreciate this episode as much as i would'veif it had been wrtten differently. I think some of the lack of risk stems from not seeing enough shots of out main characters and a sea devil in the same frame, we see head on shots a lot, also the completely random plot points, like honesty, get rid of the big sea thing and make the stone from the start the imprtant one, this gives a better sense of coninuity which means the audience can get attached and therefore feel more entrepidatious. In relation to the doctor, i think that the real thing that gets me is that the doctor becomes a different persn around Yaz because Yaz doesnt bounce off her and she doesnt let Yaz into all of her feelings nor does Yaz let the doctor in to what she isfeeling all of the time, we also havent seen yaz get properly angry at the doctor and when you are playing with something as high stakes as love, it will make you mad at points. I see the true yearning in Yaz when she is around the doctor and visa versa, but that is all i usually see. In the next episode, if they want to make thasmin fly, they need to show that this couple really wants to be together and show the full rangeof emotions that this can evoke from both of them.

[@patrickmusson4571]

I enjoyed this special. I made a decision a while back to suspend all disbelief when it comes to Chibnall's Doctor Who, except for the Timeless Child storyline, which I hate with a searing heat of a thousand supernovae, along with Series 11 in its entirety. I enjoyed most of Series 12 and all of 13 and Eve of the Dalek's special. It's wonderful just having fun with it.

[@yepimafanatic]

I don’t see how Thasmin is an lbgtq relationship. Established: the Doctor is an alien. Established: the Doctor is attracted to humanoid women. Established: the Doctor can change apparent genders. So to call any romantic relationship a gender bending ALIEN has with a human female gay or straight really seems bizarre to me. All that said, Chibs is what is wrong with Who right now. I really hope Russell can make Lightning strike twice.

[@mahfuzurchowdhury2765]

Opinion on our new Doctor?

[@colmsdad]

One more episode and we can wave goodbye to Chibbers and the failed experiment.

[@nathanielfarkas4431]

Didn’t fail for me